Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies have recently become extremely controversial, with many companies vowing to end their support. This has led to mixed reactions online. This was intensified by the ongoing “woke” vs “anti-woke” culture war. Both groups defend and consume content that aligns with their ideologies. In this context, understanding the discourse surrounding these issues online is essential, as such movements have the potential to lead to real-world harm. For this reason, we conduct a large-scale study around the DEI and “woke” discussion on the Reddit platform from 2020–2024, finding that it has grown significantly during the studied period, spreading across a large variety of seemingly unrelated topics. Finally, we note that the discourse has become increasingly polarized, with a growing trend of toxicity and negative sentiments, coupled with changes in the meaning of the terms “woke” and DEI on the platform. These findings have important implications for public policy related to social issues.